


Alternatives

by helloshepard



Category: Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon Fix-It, SG meets Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:03:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1950882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloshepard/pseuds/helloshepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soundwave gets some unexpected company in the Shadowzone. Request for fannishcodex on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alternatives

They were tired.

The bridge hadn't been opened in months. Soundwave was sure it was never to be opened again.

The console at the head of the bridge still had a cracked screen, but it was still functional. Soundwave pressed his back against the computer, trying to absorb the minimal warmth it generated. He didn't bother trembling as the door hissed open and a blast of cold air hit him; instead, he drew one leg up to his chest in an attempt to shield Laserbeak from the chill. Laserbeak pinged a weary thanks but was otherwise silent.

Soundwave allowed his optics to close.

The Autobots were approaching. He didn't move—they weren't moving towards the bridge controls and the instinctive panic upon finding someone had painlessly stepped throughhim had faded an Earth month ago. 

Purely out of habit, he began recording the Autobot's conversation. They weren't saying anything of consequence; a report on the rebuilding was delivered, and the silver one missed the Prime.

His Spark ached.

Once, he had listened in on a conversation between Knock Out and Breakdown. The medic had been regaling the other Decepticon with war stories—polished stories, Soundwave knew—and was describing bodies found after being captured by a band of rogue Autobots. Soundwave had made special note of the eroded Spark chamber Knock Out had described with a clenched claw, because it was interesting, and because he wanted to check it against facts not solely authored by Knock Out himself.

At least once a day, he found himself wondering if his chamber was eroding like those Decepticon prisoners that had succumbed to starvation, or if it was simply an effect of the Shadowzone.

After the door opened and closed again, Soundwave shook himself a little more awake and began scraping off the Energon that had dried on Laserbeak's armor and wiring. It was an arduous process, one thats difficulty was doubled due to the fact that Laserbeak could no longer deploy, leaving Soundwave's view partially obscured.

Laserbeak settled in and relaxed, acknowledging comfort and _yes-good._

Soundwave relaxed as well, trying to ignore the ache in his chest and tanks.

The breeze was the next thing that caught his attention. Soundwave let out a slow exhale, trying to calculate the chances of the Shadowzone undergoing a change right _now,_ then let a fleck of dried Energon drift into the “wind”, simply to ensure he was not imagining it. He watched it flit towards the middle of the bridge, then to the ceiling, then to the floor in a circle.

As if there was an invisible groundbridge.

Soundwave stood, steadying his shaking legs by leaning on the cracked console as he heard the unmistakable sound of a bridge powering up.

The Autobots couldn't hear it.

Or they were controlling it and were simply waiting for him to come through.

Soundwave let go of the console and took a hesitant step forward. His legs trembled, but steadied for a moment as Laserbeak sent a reassuring chirp.

He stumbled forward, toward the sound and the invisible bridge.

“ _Go on. And take him with you.”_

“ _No.”_

At the sound of the second voice, Soundwave froze. That wasn't right. The lack of Energon was finally affecting his processor. Possibly.

“ _Ratchet will ensure the survival of your 'family'. Furthermore, I am ordering your comlink frequencies to remain open.”_

“ _Optimus—”_

Soundwave took a step forward, determined to see where that voice was coming from, even if it was only in his mind.

He felt the familiar crackle of electricity against his armor—there was a groundbridge, perhaps the Shadowzone simply wouldn't let him _see it—_ just before a huge, familiar, shape barreled into him.

Instinctively, Soundwave tried to twist his body and shield Laserbeak, whose distress signals were simultaneously becoming fainter and more frequent.

They were both thrown off the bridge, into the lower level. Soundwave let out a breath of nonexistent air as his back hit the ground, then struggled to get free. No matter what else was happening, Laserbeak was the priority.

He couldn't move. Soundwave struggled against the dead weight for a moment, then tried to prop his arm up and relieve the pressure on his symbiont, who had fallen silent.

For the first time in eons, Soundwave wanted to scream. He trembled, trying to force his arm between his chest and the other Decepticon. It didn't budge.

Not caring he'd spent more energy in the last five minutes than in the last week, he tried to roll away, then tried to kick himself out.

Exhausted, he lay back, sending a hundred apologies to Laserbeak. He stared up at the ceiling, half-convinced he was devising another plan.

Sudden pressure on his chest startled him.

Another Decepticon peeked over, staring into his visor.

“You—you're—?”

Soundwave thanked thousands of years of practice for his ability to stay silent no matter the situation. This was no exception.

“Hold on.”

The other Decepticon slid off and knelt by his side. Grabbing his unconscious leader's opposite shoulder with slender digits, he pulled him off, lying the other Decepticon flat his back. Soundwave staggered to a kneeling position, ignoring the pain in his side and his knee.

The other, conscious one was injured and had no symbionts. A blade had cut deep into his chest, and what looked like blaster fire scorched his torso, although the color of his armor made it hard to tell.

“I'm not going to hurt you. Can't.”

Soundwave stared.

His—counterpart? Delusion?—had moved a little closer. Soundwave stiffened.

“Not you.” The other one pointed. “Him.”

Soundwave glanced down.

It _looked_ like Megatron, in the same way the black and green Decepticon looked like him.

Soundwave looked down, then looked back up.

_::You're—not going to hurt—?::_

It was strange, splicing and cutting his own voice.

“No!” The other one reached into his subspace, ignoring Soundwave try to push himself to his feet, then collapse when his side and knee gave out. He waited until Soundwave was upright again before holding out the cube.

The desire to take it was almost overwhelming. Laserbeak—Soundwave had feared the worst—perked up and nearly chirped out loud.

A thousand warnings filtered through his mind: poison, drugs, a virus, but were all nulled by the simple fact that it was energy, the first Energon he'd seen in months.

Soundwave accepted it.

“Stay?” The other one was talking again. “He can help. When he wakes up.”

Soundwave considered his options, though his mind was already made up. There was nowhere to go, and short of killing these two and hacking into their comlink frequencies to open a groundbridge to somewhere that was likely completely foreign, he had no choice.

He nodded.

Soundwave sat back, and they began to wait.

 


End file.
